Pete's Percussion Podcast - Pete Zambito

Percussionist,  Educator, Entrepreneur, and Freelancer Gabriela Ordoñez Villalobos stops by to talk about her job as the Artistic Director of the Juventud Center at Sewá Charter School in Chihuahua (Mexico) and her freelancing career (03:40), her work setting up and running the Festival Internacional de Percusiones de Chihuahua, the challenges and successes there, and the grant writing process (18:35), growing up in Chihuahua, her father’s love of rock music, her background in drumset, Mexico’s Rock music scene, music education in Mexico and Mariachi Programs in the U.S. (38:40), and talks about her experiences at the Chihuahua Conservatory of Music, her years in gymnastics, and eventually earning the full-time timpani position in Chihuahua (01:00:20).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2016 film Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (01:30:00).

Gabriela Ordoñez Villalobos links:

Gabriela’s Flamenco Music Dissertation

Gabriela’s Instagram Feed

Other Links:

El Sistema in Venezuela

Timothy Jones

Dean Gronemeier

Maná

Zeferino Nandayapa

Raves:

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping trailer

New York City-based drummer and percussionist Morgan Parker returns to talk about moving to leaving Kansas and heading to NYC after undergrad, the pandemic occurring during her NYU masters, studying with great teachers and getting connected, and taking tap dance lessons (03:00), then settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on the importance of listening to recordings, Morgan’s experiences as a woman in the percussion world, great movies and books, bad jobs, crazy live gigs, and experiencing newer artists live (27:25).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 film Primetime (01:11:25).

Morgan Parker Links:

Part 1 with Morgan Parker

Morgan Parker’s website

Morgan Parker’s Maestra Page

Other Links:

Jonathan Haas

James Saporito

Valerie Naranjo

In the Heights

Hamilton

Muscle Shoals Sound Studio

The Rocky Horror Picture Show trailer

Dude, Where's My Car? trailer

Back to the Future trailer

Back to the Future Part 2 trailer

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off trailer

The Breakfast Club trailer

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F___ - Mark Manson

Keith Moon Drum Solo

John Bonham Drum Solo

Jack Stack BBQ

Pancho’s Mexican Food

YUNGBLUD

Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear trailer

Raves:

Primetime trailer

New York City-based freelancing drummer and percussionist Morgan Parker stops by to talk about her career in NYC, her recent 2-year tour with A Beautiful Noise, and her upcoming PASIC performance supporting Valerie Naranjo (04:00), her work as a Broadway sub, and what 2 years of touring meant for her gear and how she managed her physical and mental health (22:35), growing up in rural Kansas, getting involved in music and how it saved her life, the importance of musical style, how she manages social media (50:20), and the importance of her teachers in and out of her years at Kansas Wesleyan University, attaining both music performance and music education degrees simultaneously, and her experiences in student teaching (01:21:10).

Finishes with a Rave on the 2000s TV Series Slings & Arrows (01:43:25).

Morgan Parker Links:

Morgan Parker’s website

Morgan Parker’s Maestra page

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Mackenna Tolfa in 2026

Other Links:

A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical

MJ The Musical

Fiddler on the Roof

Valerie Naranjo

Jonathan Haas

Keith Levenson

The Who

The Doo Woo Project

Raves:

Slings & Arrows

Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts (in Kansas City) band director and Lincoln University (MO) alum Kat Otto-Gentry stops by to talk about her new job there and the changes from her previous post at FL Schlagle High School (03:55), growing up in Kansas City, her parents the radio DJs, drumming from a young age, playing cello and sousaphone, and meeting former LU band director Rhonda Harper (16:40), Kat interviews Pete about his years teaching at Lincoln (39:00), Kat discusses her own time as an undergrad at Lincoln (58:00), her post-Lincoln career beginning at Lee A. Tolbert in KC and her learning curve about the teaching profession (01:12:30), teaching at Schlagle, replacing a legend, her thoughts on attaining future degrees, and her decision to leave her alma mater (01:21:30), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on her experiences in the band world as a woman, grilling food, the Kansas City Chiefs, great KC Ethiopian food restaurants, and the JS Bach Cello Suites (01:45:05).

Finishing with a Rave on the recent Missouri Symphony Performance of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (02:15:40).

Kat Otto-Gentry Links:

Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts Staff Page

Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:

Charles Smotherson in 2017

Other Links:

F.L. Schlagle High School

Youth Jazz

Lincoln University Music Department

Sunset Reggae with Sister G

The Grand Emporium, Kansas City

VH1 Save the Music Foundation

Verdine White

The Warm Demander

Wicked trailer

Team America: World Police trailer

A Song For You: My Life with Whitney Houston - Robyn Crawford

Black Garlic restaurant

Blue Nile Cafe

Yo Yo Ma on Arthur

Yo Yo Ma playing JS Bach’s Cello Suite in G Major, Prelude

Raves:

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in concert

Boston-based marimbist, educator, collaborator, composer, arranger, and Africana historian Steph Davis stops by to talk about with entrepreneurial and performance career, his teaching at Boston Conservatory, living and working in Boston, and playing gyil (03:35), growing up in Orlando (FL), getting into percussion, his years as a gymnast, and his love of reading (28:50), attending Boston Conservatory for his undergrad and masters, studying with Nancy Zeltsman, moving to a new city, and getting into the foodie culture (46:05), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on making a career on marimba, maintaining physical and mental health, the Twilight movies, Toni Morrison, and Lauryn Hill (01:13:40).

Finishes with a Rave on the 2026 film Is God Is (01:42:20).

Steph Davis links:

Steph Davis’ website

Steph Davis’ Boston Conservatory page

Steph Davis’ Marimba One page

Castle of Our Skins

“Of Thoughts and Thinking” - Tony Lymon

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Britton-René Collins in 2023

Julie Spencer in 2021

Other Links:

Matt Sharrock

Vicente Lusitano

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Gabriela Lena Frank

New Gallery Concert Series

Valerie Naranjo

Nancy Zeltsman

Harry Potter

The Twilight Saga

Ender’s Game - Orson Scott Card

Sweet Song - Nancy Zeltsman

“Variations on Lost Love” - David Maslanka

“Scenes from Mexico” - Alice Gomez

Samuel Solomon

Marti Epstein

John Murphree

Moonlight trailer

Twilight trailer

Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Ms. Lauryn Hill

Nicki Minaj

Close Up - SBB & DBR

Zora Neale Hurston’s Anthropological Legacy

Raves:

Is God Is trailer

Percussionist and Freelancer Mackenna Tolfa stops by to talk about her long run with the Blue Man Group, getting the job and the physical and acting demands of the role, the daily schedule, and cooking on tour (02:10), growing up in Green Bay (WI), surrounded by music at an early age, her extensive piano and percussion background, and her fondness for the composer Sergei Rachmaninov (30:50), her undergrad years at the University of Minnesota and studying with Fernando Meza (47:30), her post-undergrad years, the Blue Man Group auditions, the importance of social media for her success, and her Broadway gigs and the Dust Bowl Radio Hour (59:25), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on mental health in school programs, social media, thrifting, traveling, great books and music, her love of sports, and the importance of the music of AURORA (01:14:00).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2000 film Miss Congeniality (01:49:30).

MacKenna Tolfa links:

MacKenna Tolfa’s website

MacKenna Tolfa’s Instagram

MacKenna Tolfa’s Facebook

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Fernando Meza in 2020

Britton-René Collins in 2023

Eriko Daimo in 2025

Nicole Patrick in 2020

Julie Spencer in 2021

Other Links:

Blue Man Group

Clayton Craddock

David Anania

Philip Mayer

Keiko Abe

Kansas

Billy Joel

Rush

Yes

Josh Groban

“Prelude in G minor” - Sergei Rachmaninov

Piano Concerto No. 2 - Sergei Rachmaninov

Concerto in F - George Gershwin

Mean Girls

The Lion King

Chris Cerreto

Kasey Dillon

Patrick Newton

Disclosure Day trailer

The Odyssey trailer

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - JK Rowling

The Courage to be Disliked - Ichiro Kishimi

Alexander Scriabin

Graystone Ale House

Erling Haaland

Jordan Love

AURORA

Raves:

Miss Congeniality trailer

Toronto-based Percussion Educator, Composer, and Freelancer Michelle Colton stops by to talk about her sessional teaching work at the University of Toronto, teaching in the local school district, and the freelancing scene there (03:25), her time as the Ontario Chapter President of PAS (19:15), growing up in Marion (IA), her musical family, soul and funk music, marching band, and marathon running (25:50), attending the University of Iowa for undergrad, her wide variety of experiences there, and eventually meeting her husband Alejandro Cespedes (41:50), going to the University of Toronto for her grad degrees, studying with lots of great professors, and her dissertation on percussion gestures (50:25), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on developing well-rounded percussionists, being a woman in the percussion world, keeping up her mental and physical health, great food, audiobooks, and her compositional inspirations (01:09:20).

Finishing with a Rave on a recent University of Missouri Faculty Music Recital (01:38:00).

Michelle Colton Links:

Michelle Colton’s website

Michelle Colton’s YouTube page

Michelle Colton’s University of Toronto page

Previous Podcast guests mentioned:

Victoria Sparks in 2018

She-e Wu in 2025

Michael Schutz in 2025

Todd Meehan in 2017

Other Links:

Alejandro Céspedes

Community Music Schools of Toronto

NewJeans

“Havana” - Camila Cabello

“Tom Sawyer” - Rush

Canadian Percussion Network

Tom Mackey

Pure Funk

“Natural Woman” - Aretha Franklin

“Stay” - Lisa Loeb

“If I Ain’t Got You” - Alicia Keys

“If” - Janet Jackson

Keiko Abe

Iowa Flood of 2008

John Rudolph

Dan Moore

Dane Richeson

Anthony Di Sanza

Orlando Cotto

NEXUS

Beverley Johnston

Christopher Lamb

Margaret Atwood

Russell Hartenberger

Steve Reich

Christos Hatzis

Mississauga Children’s Choir

Liquidrum’s Marimba Moves

Tomaso’s Pizza

Me - Elton John

The Woman in Me - Britney Spears

Becoming - Michelle Obama

Spare - Prince Harry

Born a Crime - Trevor Noah

“Uninvited” - Alanis Morisette and Brandi Carlile

“Adia” - Sarah McLaughlin

Unsuk Chin

Raves:

Mizzou School of Music Faculty

New Jersey-based percussionist, educator and researcher Domenico Zarro stops by to talk about our Italian names, living and teaching in New Jersey, his college teaching doctorate and his research interests (06:45), the Percussion Student Blog and Pete’s experience with it (28:30), growing up in Bergen County (NJ), his early percussion experiences and his connections to many great percussion educators, marching in VFW parades, improvisation in performance, and his thoughts on the current state of percussion education (40:15), his wide-ranging teaching career and further considerations for future percussion teachers (01:19:40), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on clothing, Turner Classic Movies and classic film stars and directors, Ron Chernow books, New York sports, and the art of Americana (01:31:00).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 film Obsession (02:01:10).

Domenico Zarro links:

Zarro Percussion

Foundations Series for Band

Perspectives of Percussion Pedagogues

Domenico’s article on Ney Rosauro’s Marimba Concerto No. 1

Music for Percussion - Domenico Zarro

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Neil Grover in 2023

Other Links:

John H. Beck

Murray Houllif

James L. Moore

John S. Pratt

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

Ed Uribe

Modern Method for Timpani - Saul Goodman

Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone - Morris Goldenberg

Portraits in Rhythm - Tony Cirone

Twelve Studies for Snare Drum - Frederic Delecluse

Buster Bailey

Ray DesRoches

National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy

Gordon Gottlieb

Leonard Bernstein

Georg Solti

Bill Cahn

Percussion Instruments and Their History - James Blades

Geary Larrick

Man of La Mancha

Alan Abel

Stanley Leonard

Danny Gottlieb

Jonathan Haas

Tom Stubbs

Douglas Howard

Benjamin Herman

Arnie Lang

The Thin Man trailer

The Searchers trailer

You Can’t Take It With You trailer

The Maltese Falcon trailer

Pat and Mike trailer

Key Largo trailer

The Quiet Man trailer

John Ford

Frank Capra

Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow

Washington - Ron Chernow

The Making of the American Mind - Matthew Spalding

Don Mattingly

1986 Mets Highlights

“Sleigh Ride” - Leroy Anderson

“Fanfare for the Common Man” - Aaron Copland

Norman Rockwell

Raves:

Obsession trailer

William Paterson University (NJ) Percussion Director and Music Department Chairperson Payton MacDonald stops by to talk about his college job, the challenges of getting jobs in higher education, and the facilities at the school (03:15), how he handles and maintains his physical and mental health with involvement in so many creative activities, his years as a founding member of Alarm Will Sound, and his move towards improvisation as the basis of his creative performances now (26:40), growing up in Idaho Falls (ID), his early percussion and band experiences, his exposure to a wide swath of genres from a young age, and his experiences mountain biking (45:40), attending the University of Michigan for undergrad and studying with Michael Udow (01:00:00), attending Eastman (NY) for his grad degrees, developing a freelancing career and setting himself up for success on the college teaching level, and his years teaching at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh (01:08:25), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, with segments on music in competition, personal health, practical clothes, motorcycles, making fried rice, great books and poetry, administrative duties, and new music concerts (01:24:35).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2025 documentary Sly Lives! (01:53:50).

Payton MacDonald Links:

Payton MacDonald’s homepage

Payton MacDonald’s William Paterson University page

Void Patrol’s Bandcamp page

Sonic Divide

Sonic Parks

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Mika Godbole in 2026

Colleen Bernstein in 2022

Michael Udow in 2025

Steven Schick in 2025

Julie Spencer in 2021

John W. Parks IV in 2018

Other Links:

Ray DesRoches

“Persephassa” - Iannis Xenakis

John Ferrari

M’Bemba Bangoura

Hector Morales

Steve Nelson

Johnathan Blake

Alarm Will Sound

Stefan Freund

New Jersey Percussion Ensemble

John H. Beck

Blackearth Percussion Group

Steve Reich

Charles Wuorinen

Max Roach

Philly Joe Jones

Elvin Jones

John Medeski

Glenn Gould

Gordon Stout

Vida Chenoweth

Leigh Howard Stevens

Clair Omar Musser

Live at Birdland - John Coltrane

Unit Structures - John Coltrane

Ali Akbar Khan

Bob Becker

Silence - John Cage

Rudimental Solos for Accomplished Drummers - John Pratt

Portraits in Rhythm - Tony Cirone

12 Studies for Snare Drum - Jacques Delecluse

H. Robert Reynolds

Mark Stone

Colin Stetson

Stephen Rush

Reggie Workman

Roscoe Mitchell

John Alfieri

Bobby Hutcherson

Milt Jackson

Jason Treuting

Lawson White

Steve Owen

Fred Bugbee

Ted Poor

Doug Perkins

Anthony Di Sanza

Blake Tyson

CHiPs Freeze frame ending

Apocalypse Now trailer

Heart of Darkness trailer

Oppenheimer trailer

Denis Villeneuve

Steven Soderbergh

The Dispossessed - Ursula K. Le Guin

Disgrace - J.M. Coetzee

Canada - Richard Ford

The Human Stain - Philip Roth

George Oppen

Dylan Thomas

Charles Bukowski

Fluxus

MASS MoCA

“Just Ancient Loops” - Michael Harrison & Bill Morrison - Maya Beiser, cello

Raves:

Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - Sly Stone with Ben Goodman

WTF: Episode 1666 - Questlove

SLY LIVES! aka The Burden of Black Genius trailer

Louisville-based percussionist, teacher, and writer, and editor of the Percussive Arts Society’s Percussive Notes magazine Rick Mattingly stops by to talk about his local performances in Louisville, the beginnings of his editing and writing career, and his interview style (04:55), his early editing career with Modern Drummer and his interviews and contact with drummers early in their careers (22:30), working as PAS’s Percussive Notes editor (38:35), growing up in Louisville, getting into rock and classical music early on, and getting to perform frequently (47:10), his years studying at the University of Louisville, playing professionally in orchestra, and playing in a hotel-based dance band (56:15), moving to New York City, interviewing members of the Rolling Stones, and his life in the city (01:07:40), moving back to Louisville, teaching and writing, and his work with method books and bringing Gary Chester’s The New Breed to the masses (01:21:00), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on private instruction, maintaining physical and mental health, great books, The British Invasion, Louisville cuisine, and the Vesna Duo (01:44:00).

Finishing with a Rave honoring the life and work of Dolly Parton (02:06:30).

Rick Mattingly Links:

Rick Mattingly’s GIA Publications page

Your Music Career is NOT Over - Rick Mattingly

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Julie Spencer in 2021

Norman Weinberg in 2017

Ksenija Komljenovic in 2020

The Vesna Duo in 2022

Other Links:

Roy Burns

Ron Spagnardi

Buddy Rich

Ed Shaughnessy

Jimmy Cobb

Jim Chapin

Don Moye

Peter Criss

Philly Joe Jones

Saul Goodman

Sue Evans

Garwood Whaley

Kenny Aronoff

Dave Weckl

Steve Gadd

Steve Jordan

Denny Carmassi

Val Wilmer

Arthur Press

The Beatles on Ed Sullivan

Max Roach

The Rolling Stones “Steel Wheels” tour

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Edward B. Straight

N.A.R.D.

Anthony J. Cirone

Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone - Morris Goldenberg

Clair Omar Musser

“Sonata for Xylophone” - Thomas Pitfield

“Children’s Songs” - Chick Corea and Gary Burton

Chet Atkins

Marvin Hamlisch

Doc Severinsen

“Gonna Fly Now” - Bill Conti

Charlie Watts

Tony Williams

Danny Gottlieb

Joe Morello

Gary Chester

Hal Blaine

Bill Bruford

Carl Palmer

Louisville Leopard Percussionists

Peter Erskine

Nancy Zeltsman

Charles Dickens

Jack Kerouac

Allen Ginsberg

Sherlock Holmes

Agatha Christie

Basil Rathbone

Sherlock trailer

Ed Soph

“Heart Full of Soul” - The Yardbirds

“You Really Got Me” - The Kinks

“Honey” - Bobby Goldsboro

Ramsi’s Cafe

Check’s Cafe

Raves:

Dolly Parton’s New York Times obituary